Optimum blank shape design by sensitivity analysis

A method of blank shape design based on sensitivity analysis for the non-ci rcular jeep drawing process has been proposed. By assuming the final deform ation shape to be a drawn cup with a uniform trimming allowance at the flan ge, the corresponding initial blank which gives the final shape after defor mation has been found. With the aid of a well-known dynamic explicit analys is code PAM-STAMP, shape sensitivity has been obtained. To obtain the shape sensitivity numerically, a couple of deformation processes have been analy zed. In order to validate this method, deep drawings of a square cup, a clo ver shaped cup and an L-shaped cup have been chosen as the examples. In eve ry case converged results have been obtained only after a few times of modi fication. With the predicted optimal blank, both computer simulation and ex periment are performed. Excellent agreement is noted between simulation and experiment in every case. Through the investigation, the proposed systemat ic method of optimal blank design is found to be very effective in the desi gn of a deep drawing process. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights res erved.